The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup — 🥦🧀🤤 Make the best soup of your life at home in 1 hour! It’s creamy, CHEESY, and loaded with tender pieces of broccoli! Beyond words amazing and WAY better than Panera!
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This is the best broccoli cheese soup. Not only that, it’s some of the best soup I’ve ever tasted, period.
If you like Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup, this blows the pants off it.
It’s an easy soup to make and is ready in 1 hour. It’s absolutely perfect comfort food and I couldn’t stop eating it. I ate it for lunch and dinner for a couple straight days until it was gone. I loved this soup beyond words.
I kept the soup vegetarian by using low-sodium vegetable stock rather than chicken stock, and lightened it up by using fat-free half-and-half. But you’d think that it was made with heavy cream based on how thick, rich, and truly decadent it tastes.
Broccoli Cheese Soup Ingredients
For this better-than-Panera copycat cheesy broccoli soup recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Vegetable broth or stock
- Half and half
- Broccoli florets
- Carrots
- Spices
- Extra sharp cheddar cheese
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup
This is a very easy cheese and broccoli soup recipe, but there are a few fast-moving stages. Read the recipe before you start making the soup so you know what’s coming up next.
- In a small saucepan, add a little butter, the diced onion, and sauté until the onion is translucent and barely browned. Add the garlic, cook, then remove from heat.
- In a large heavy-bottom pot, add the remaining butter, flour, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until flour is thickened.
- Slowly add the vegetable stock, whisking constantly, then the half and half. Let simmer over low heat until it has reduced and thickened some.
- Add the broccoli, carrots, spices, and the onion and garlic you previously set aside.
- Allow soup to simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes.
- While soup simmers, grate the cheese. After simmering about 20 to 25 minutes, add most of the cheese, reserving a small amount for garnishing bowls.
Tip for Softening the Vegetables
If you prefer very soft broccoli and carrots, you can either steam them before you add them to the pot and/or make sure the broccoli florets are quite small and the carrots are cut into very thin pieces.
I’ve never found pre-steaming necessary because the soup continues to simmer for 20-25 minutes after adding the broccoli and carrots, which is ample time for me personally for them to soften to my liking. However, in case you prefer very soft vegetables, steaming and/or paying closer attention to their size is an option.
Soup FAQs
Use a high-quality cheddar cheese that you grate yourself. Don’t use the cheapest cheese you can find because the flavor just isn’t there. I prefer extra-sharp, although sharp may be used. Pre-grated cheese in ziptop bags is resistant to melting and won’t incorporate well.
You could try, but it will be mushy. I hate mushy vegetables so I personally never would use frozen broccoli in this soup being that the broccoli is the star of the show.
I love broccoli and used plenty because I prefer big chunks of broccoli in every bite but you can use less. I also used some stalks to make use of the entire head and not waste any, but you can use florets only if preferred. Even people who ‘don’t like broccoli’ should love broccoli when it’s bathed in a creamy, cheesy broth.
There are a few optional spices like smoked paprika, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper. They’re not mandatory if you don’t keep them on hand, but they do add extra depth of flavor, albeit subtle. The cayenne doesn’t make the soup hot in the least, it makes it not taste boring.
Storage and Reheating
To store: Soup will keep in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing the soup because I feel like the cheese and half-and-half will not do well upon thawing and soup could break, but I haven’t actually tried freezing it.
To reheat: Reheat gently in the microwave for 30-second intervals. I find the soup is less likely to ‘break’ or separate when reheated in the microwave rather than on the stovetop, but do what you think is best.
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The Best Broccoli Cheese Soup (Better-Than-Panera Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon + 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 small or medium sweet yellow onion, diced small
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced finely
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock, chicken stock may be substituted
- 2 cups half-and-half, *
- 2 to 3 cups broccoli florets, diced into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup broccoli stems, diced into bite-size pieces (optional)**
- 2 large carrots, trimmed, peeled, and sliced into very thin rounds, about 1/16th-inch
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika , (or regular paprika) optional and to taste
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder, optional and to taste
- pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste (doesn’t make soup spicy and serves to enhance flavor)
- 8 ounces grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese, with a small amount reserved for garnishing***
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add 1 tablespoon butter, the diced onion, and sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and barely browned, about 4 minutes. Stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and set pan aside.
- In a large heavy-bottom pot (I use this Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 6-3/4-Quart Oval French (Dutch) Oven) add 4 tablespoons butter, flour, and cook over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until flour is thickened. You are making a roux and it’s very important the mixture is thick or soup will never thicken properly later.
- Slowly add the vegetable stock, whisking constantly.
- Slowly add the half-and-half, whisking constantly.
- Allow mixture to simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened some. Whisk intermittently to re-incorporate the ‘skin’ that inevitably forms, this is normal.
- While mixture is simmering, chop the broccoli and carrots. After simmering 15 to 20 minutes, add the broccoli, carrots, and the onion and garlic you previously set aside.
- Add the salt, pepper, optional paprika, optional dry mustard powder, and optional cayenne. If you don’t have these seasonings on hand, it’s okay, but they do add subtle depth of flavor. Stir to combine.
- Allow soup to simmer over low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened some. Whisk intermittently to re-incorporate the ‘skin’ that inevitably forms, this is normal.
- While soup simmers, grate the cheese. After simmering about 20 to 25 minutes, add most of the cheese, reserving a small amount for garnishing bowls. Stir in the cheese until melted and incorporated fully, less than 1 minute.
- Transfer soup to bowls, garnish with reserved cheese, and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hello! I am really careful about making anything from recipes or trying new things on my own. The soup is not new to me but I have never made it by myself. Your recipe is the best. My dad is hard to please when it comes to new recipes and he approves it!!! Thank you for such a good recipe! <3
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you think my recipe is the best as does your dad, too!
Oh Perfect……Better than Panera’s For SURE .Made this on spur of the moment and did not have half/half but had heavy cream…used it and can milk…came out perfect…your receipe mentioned the film …mind did not form a film…. the second time I made exactly by your receipe and the film did form….both ways taste great…..I also added chopped celery and
I did double the receipe both times…..gave some to my neighbor (92 yr old gentlman) he commented “It was a Blue Ribbon Soup”……..I put some of this last batch in my freezer…We
will see how it holds up…… (did omit the dry mustard- not a spice I have ever used)
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it turned out perfectly and better than Panera’s for sure!
This absolutely lived up to its title – it really is THE BEST Broccoli Cheddar Soup I’ve ever had; even my very picky daughter, who loves Panera’s version, thought this blew away Panera’s soup. It doesn’t even come close in my opinion.
So so good!! I’m blown away. I’ll be making another batch tomorrow.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it turned out to be the best broccoli cheese soup you’ve ever had and blew Panera’s version away!
I made the suop today and I noticed the picture you posted is light colored. Mine was definitely brown. Any idea what I did wrong??? The soup tastes wonderful but the color is not what I would call broccolli cheese soup.
Probably when you were browning the onion it got a bit dark and that could cause the overall color of the soup to darken. Glad it still tastes wonderful.
Made the broccoli cheese soup, I ended up doubling the soup part because there needed to be more. Holy crow this is amazing!!!
Glad it turned out amazing for you!
Do you have a carb count on this recipe? I found it on a list of low-carb meals from Tasty and need to carefully count carbs for medical reasons. Thanks!
Wonderful! I’ve been making this soup for almost two years now and keep coming back to it. Lovely flavor, lovely consistency, very much a “comfort food”.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is a repeated comfort food recipe for you!
Nothing is missing “2 large carrots, trimmed, peeled, and sliced into very thin rounds, about 1/16th-inch”
I don’t measure but I followed the ingredients and suggestion to the letter. Turned out absolutely delicious! I made broccoli cheese soup before but never used flour and I did not regret it. I will be using this recipe going forward!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you will be using my recipe going forward!
Perfection as written!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s perfection as written for you1
I made your recipe, just as you presented it. It is so delicious! I’ve checked my cookbooks, and many other similar recipes on line, but your site, details and enthusiasm got my attention.
I seldom cook with cream or flour….but it was worth the expansion of my world. I found it difficult to easily print the recipe, so I cut and pasted it to leave out all but the essentials: ingredients and directions. Now I have it for my family, whenever it is safe for them to visit us later. Be well, be kind, and be calm. Eating well helps us to with it all!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was worth expanding your cooking horizons!
Doubled the recipe and made it with a combination of whole milk and oat milk (all I had on hand) It was Delicious! My husband loved it so much that I made it again today to freeze and take in our RV! This time only whole milk (again, all I had on hand). Thanks for a great go to for yummy soup!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it worked with the milks you had on hand and it’s a go to for you!
Delicious soup I used 2 bouillon cubes in place of vegetable broth in place of vegetable broth and turned out just fine. Very tasty. Thank you for this recipe. Fast & easy to make.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad the bouillon cubes worked out great!
I have frozen this recipe. It was amazingly still exactly like originally made when thawed.
Thanks for the five star review and glad it was still exactly like when you originally had made it after freezing/thawing.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I made some tweaks based on what we had on hand. I used sharp cheddar, regular half and half, chicken stock, shredded carrots, and adjusted the salt because I used salted butter.
It was so good and so creamy. It’s definitely a keeper recipe for us!
Thanks for the five star review and glad it was delicious and that you were able to use what you had on hand!
Outstanding!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad it was outstanding!